Usnea Supporting Ufomammut North American Tour


ufomammut usnea tour

Portland, OR sludge/doom rockers Usnea has been confirmed as the sole support act for Ufomammut’s first ever North American tour this Spring. They are touring in support of their Relapse Records debut Random Cosmic Violence, out now.

Recorded and mixed by Jared “Fester” See at Haywire Studios (Nux Vomica, Stoneburner, Rabbits) who supplies additional guitars to the title track, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Yob, High On Fire, Integrity), through their overwhelming black/occult metal-influenced funeral doom, Usnea has created a classic of the new millennium with Random Cosmic Violence.

usnea

USNEA Tour Dates:
Mar 07: Obsidian – Olympia, WA (w/ Eusapia, A God Or An Other, Eye of Nix)
Mar 26: Blackwater Bar – Portland, OR (w/ Deathgrave, Augurs, Shroud of the Heretic)
May 08: High Water Mark – Portland, OR (* tour kick-off w/ Eye of Nix, Hiding, Shine of the Serpent)
May 09: Crazy Horse – Boise, ID
May 10: Metro Bar – Salt Lake City, UT (w/ Odium Totus)
May 11: Lost Lake – Denver, CO (w/ Inter Arma, Yautja, Prison Death)
May 12: TBA – Lawrence, KS
USNEA North America Spring 2015 w/ Ufomammut:
May 13: Reggie’s – Chicago, IL
May 14: Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
May 15: Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
May 16: Mod Club – Toronto, ON
May 17: Le Ritz – Montreal, QC
May 18/2015 Middle East Upstairs – Boston, MA [no Ufomammut]
May 19: Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY
May 20: Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
May 21: Maryland Death Fest – Baltimore, MD [no Usnea]
May 22: King’s – Raleigh, NC
May 23: Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta, GA
May 24: HiTone Café – Memphis, TN [no Ufomammut]
May 25: Siberia – New Orleans, LA
May 26: Walter’s – Houston, TX
May 27: Red 7 – Austin, TX
May 29: Sister – Albuquerque, NM
May 30: Flycatcher – Tucson, AZ
May 31: Complex – Los Angeles, CA
Jun 01: TBA – Los Osos, CA [no Ufomammut]
Jun 02: Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA
Jun 03: Elbo Room – San Francisco, CA
Jun 04: Press Club – Sacramento, CA
Jun 05: WOW Hall – Eugene, OR [no Usnea]
Jun 06: Rotture – Portland, OR
Jun 07: Chop Suey – Seattle, WA
Jun 08: Neurolux – Boise, ID
Jun 09: Bar Deluxe – Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 10: Hi-Dive – Denver, CO
Jun 11: TBA – Lincoln, NE [no Ufomammut]
Jun 12: Turf Club – St Paul, MN
Jun 13: Metal Grill – Milwaukee, WI

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Usnea on Bandcamp
Relapse Records on Bandcamp
Relapse Records on Facebook


Shroud of the Heretic – Revelations in Alchemy


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Portland, Oregon dosen’t seem to garner many headlines referring to a depressing, culturally-impoverished existence. One of America’s most environmentally-conscious places, it’s also largely liberal and not particularly a hotbed of unemployment. So quite why this ‘Beervana’ appears to be giving rise to some of the most disturbing and affecting sounds emanating from the New Country in recent years is something of a mystery.

Leaning to the chaotic death end of the market, this debut album from new sons Shroud of the Heretic gives all of what it says on the tin. Abject horror blends with brooding portent, Thom Gunn‘s vocal a wheezy scour buried low in the mix. There’s much of the blackened death of city brethren Aevangelist here, the frantic lead wailings and frosted riffs clashing with violent background ambience, the howlings of souls in limbo evocative of a Bosch masterpiece. Particularly with opener ‘The Arrival’ however, this is tempered by slower passages evoking the desolation of impending doom, leaving a skewed amalgam of tortured darkness. ‘Chaotic Astral Ascension’ reflects its title: a slamming mess of discord and malevolence, gradually falling to a sudden funereal sequence depicting the peace of the rise. The blastbeat-dictated lift from the murk of ‘Illuminism’ is a prime example of timing and effect, whilst the spearing riff feeding the gloom of the title track falls to a sudden, wakening bass and this, with Gunn’s initial emanations building to the pummelling drums, is nerve-twitchingly terrifying.

The problem here is the growing familiarity. When the monstrous Portal first sallied forth it was with a cacophony containing such levels of fear as had not previously been encountered, an immediacy which left the listener needing the loo and a cushion to hide behind. Aevangelist exacerbated this horror but that impact is lessening with each new attempt at emulation and, despite Revelations in Alchemy (Blood Harvest) being delightfully terrible throughout, those experienced in the sound will grimace knowingly. The odd time change will satisfy the ‘noise is everything’ merchants but, to create lasting flavour and identity, something more memorable is required. These guys are definitely capable: let’s ‘ave it.

6.5 / 10

Shroud of the Heretic on Facebook

PAUL QUINN